Can a name change transform PCOS outcomes for women? episode artwork

EPISODE · May 21, 2026 · 16 MIN

Can a name change transform PCOS outcomes for women?

from Science Weekly · host The Guardian

After more than a decade of global consultation, polycystic ovary syndrome – which affects as many as one in eight women – has been renamed. The condition is caused by high levels of androgens, which can lead to symptoms such as excess hair, weight gain and irregular periods. To understand why campaigners wanted it renamed, and what its new name – polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) – could mean for patients, Madeleine Finlay hears from the Guardian’s science correspondent, Nicola Davis, and Rachel, a campaigner from the charity Verity. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 21, 2026

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Can a name change transform PCOS outcomes for women?

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